Apparatus and method for improving signal-to-noise ratio in a multi-carrier CDMA communication system

Abstract

For use in a multi-carrier CDMA receiver, a noise reduction circuit for improving a signal-to-noise ratio of a multi-carrier signal corresponding to a predetermined sequence of chips. Each chip has a value of Logic 0 or Logic 1. The noise reduction circuit comprises a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) circuit for receiving the multi-carrier signal and generating frequency-domain component signals. A sampling circuit generates a first sequence of samples of the frequency-domain component signals. A controller identifies samples in the first sample sequence corresponding to Logic 0 chips and identifies samples in the first sample sequence corresponding to Logic 1 chips. A randomizing circuit generates a second sample sequence by shifting positions within the first sample sequence of some of the identified samples corresponding to Logic 0 chips, or by shifting positions within the first sample sequence of some of the identified samples corresponding to Logic 1 chips.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention is directed, in general, to wireless communications devices and, more specifically, to an RF receiver having a lower signal-to-noise ratio. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Wireless communications systems, including cellular phones, paging devices, personal communication services (PCS) systems, and wireless data networks, have become ubiquitous in society. Wireless service providers continually try to create new markets for wireless devices and to expand existing markets by making wireless devices and services cheaper and more reliable. The price of end-user wireless devices, such as cell phones, pagers, PCS systems, and wireless modems, has been driven down to the point where these devices are affordable to nearly everyone and the price of a wireless device is only a small part of the end-user's total cost. To continue to attract new customers, wireless service providers concentrate on reducing infrastructure costs and...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention improves the detection and demodulation of digital data in multi-carrier CDMA and OFDM-CDMA communication systems. It reduces the required energy per chip in processing multiple, reconstructed samples of the received signal, allowing a CDMA receiver to operate closer to the Shannon limit. The invention includes a noise reduction circuit that identifies samples corresponding to Logic 0 or Logic 1 chips and generates a second sequence of samples by shifting the positions of the identified samples. The second sequence of samples is combined with the first sequence of samples to generate a composite sequence of samples with a reduced signal-to-noise ratio. The invention can be used in multi-carrier CDMA receivers in base stations or mobile stations and can be implemented in hardware, firmware, or software.

Problems solved by technology

However, this approach requires a large number of components and a large circuit area.

Additionally, the repeated transmission of M copies of the same signal is wasteful of scarce bandwidth.

However, the fact that each wireless terminal must transmit its signal over the entire spectrum leads to an averaged-down effect in the presence of deep fading and narrowband interference.

This is not ideally suited for the frequency domain signals that are present in MC-CDMA and OFDM-CDMA receivers.

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